


Interlude: 2006

by Not_You



Series: A Nest Of Snakes [7]
Category: Metal Gear Solid
Genre: Childhood Memories, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Ghosts, Grandparents & Grandchildren, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Visiting the Grandparents, baby ocelot's old room, ghosts are scary and it's good to have an expert in the house, mrs. li is a very nice lady, scared children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:27:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27022744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Not_You/pseuds/Not_You
Summary: This one was xogoi_momo's idea, and I hope it doesn't fail in the execution.  Just in time for the Halloween season, an interlude where the triplets are alarmed by Something in their closet.  Fortunately, Grandpa Sorrow is good at things that go bump in the night.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), The Boss/The Sorrow (Metal Gear)
Series: A Nest Of Snakes [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/903765
Comments: 16
Kudos: 24





	Interlude: 2006

Dave loves the ranch. It’s wide open and there are horses and goats and of course Grandma and Grandpa are here, but it can be spooky at night. The house is kind of big and sprawly, so there are lots of rooms and they all get dark and the beams creak a lot and the wind and the trees make weird sounds outside. Dave and his brothers turned five this year, though, and they’re not going to be babies about this. Besides, their room is cozy. They all share a bed so big it doesn’t matter if Eli kicks, and the nightlight here is the silhouette of a cowboy, bathing the place in a dim, golden-orange glow. 

Tonight Uncle Ocelot tucked them in and told them all about Pecos Bill and everything should be fine, but for some reason it’s not. They’re not very scared of the dark anymore, and the nightlight is bright enough, but somehow Dave is sure there’s something in the closet. They’re mostly past believing in monsters, especially after Dad had promised to kill any that show up, however unlikely, but there’s something in the closet and the room is cold without being cold and nothing is even happening and that just makes it scarier.

None of them have the guts to get up and go get anyone, but Dave is the first to start to cry. Feeling like a coward for being the first one is slightly ameliorated by realizing that Eli is also sniffling, but that also makes it worse because Eli only admits that he’s afraid when things are really dire. George joins in a moment later, clinging to both of them. They don’t mean to make a lot of noise, and doing so might alert whatever is in the closet, but they can’t help it. When Dave sees a grey figure in the doorway he almost panics, but then recognizes Grandpa in his bathrobe. Grandpa isn’t obviously tough like Dad is, but all three of them stop crying because even Eli has complete faith in Grandpa. He comes and sits on the edge of the bed, the nightlight shining on his glasses, and all three of them cling to him, tucking themselves in against his sharp ribs as he wraps his bony arms around them.

“It’s all right,” he says softly, and presses a kiss to each of their heads in turn.

“There’s something in the closet,” George whimpers, and Grandpa nods.

“I know,” he says, “but it doesn’t mean any harm. Do you?” he adds, asking in that grownup tone that isn’t really a question. “I know you don’t,” he says, after a moment, like it said something. He’s so calm that it makes everything less scary, and Dave is able to stop crying. Grandpa keeps talking to the thing in the closet, about children and how sensitive they can be, about goats and how troublesome they can be, and after a few minutes, Grandpa is saying things like, “With celery? You’re right, I should try that.” After a while he thanks whatever is there, and then it’s gone. Dave doesn’t know how he knows it’s gone, because he didn’t know how he knew it was there, but his brothers feel it too. They all hug Grandpa tightly, and he kisses them again, wrapping his bony arms around them.

“It’s all right,” he says. “That was Mrs. Li. She was curious about you because you’re about the same age as her great-grandchildren, and then she didn’t realize that she was what was frightening you.”

“Ghosts are scary,” Dave mutters.

George nods, but says, “At least it was a nice old lady ghost.”

Grandpa chuckles. “Yes, she was. If you feel her again, try not to be afraid.” He stands up and coaxes all of them to lie down again, the mattress warm from his body. “Call for me if you are,” he says, tucking the blankets in around them, “but there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Usually in any kind of crisis the smart money is on calling for Grandma, but Grandpa is definitely the expert on spooky things. Like how Mom is lots better at knowing what activities are going to make other grownups look at them weird.

The room feels a lot better now, but Dave is glad when Grandpa stays for a while, sitting on the edge of the bed again and telling them a story about a witch who lives in a house with chicken feet, and is very fearsome but doesn’t harm children who are polite. Eli would be in big trouble, but Dave thinks maybe he could do it. He thinks about Mrs. Li and feels bad. If she likes children, she must be sorry to have scared them.

“Grandpa?” he asks, after the story is over.

“Yes, little one?”

“Mrs. Li knows we’re not mad, right?”

Grandpa nods, and pets Dave’s hair. “She knows,” he says, and Dave snuggles down into the pillow.

Once Grandpa is sure that they’re all comfortable, he gives them a last loving pat and a smile, and switches off the main light again. “Okay?” he asks, and all three of them nod, because now the room is warm and cozy, and the nightlight is just as soothing as it should be.


End file.
